What does it really mean to bring precision medicine to every patient, in every community?
In this inspiring, one-hour episode of the Precision Medicine Podcast, host Karan Cushman sits down with Dr. Arif Kamal, Chief Patient Officer at the American Cancer Society (ACS), for a wide-ranging conversation that reframes how we think about progress in cancer care. With a background in oncology, palliative care and health system innovation—and a personal story shaped by his mother’s metastatic breast cancer diagnosis—Dr. Kamal offers a deeply human perspective on what it means to deliver not just the right treatment, but the right experience for every patient.
Dr. Kamal shares how the ACS is working to make precision medicine more equitable by addressing barriers like geography, affordability, clinician burnout, and fragmented care. He explains the importance of “precision compassion”—the idea that personalized care must also include empathy, listening, and action tailored to the needs of each individual. “We can’t talk about innovation,” he says, “without talking about accessibility.”
From the importance of whole-person care and mobile health units in rural communities, to expanding insurance coverage for biomarker testing and building trust with patients and caregivers, this conversation is full of insight into what it will truly take to change the odds for people facing cancer.
You’ll also hear about the ACS’s bold initiatives:
- The Change the Odds campaign, tackling ZIP code-driven disparities in care
- ACS CAN’s legislative efforts to expand access to biomarker testing
- How the ACS’s roundtables and grassroots partnerships support health systems, clinicians, and researchers nationwide
Dr. Kamal challenges us to think beyond science alone and focus on what really matters to patients—whether that’s more time, better quality of life or simply the ability to hold a grandchild on the beach.
Don’t miss this conversation about how we turn precision medicine from a possibility into a promise—one rooted in empathy, equity and action.
Subscribe here to catch every episode in the series "Bringing Precision Medicine to Everyone." Next, we explore the evolving world of liquid biopsy and its role in expanding access to early cancer detection and precision treatment.
